Meat shortages across the U.S. are likely to get worse

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the food system, you can now add meat to the list of foods that are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. On Monday, Costco announced that customers will be limited to purchasing three packages of meat, and Kroger’s website announced limited meat inventory because of high demand. In stores, Kroger is limiting the purchases of not only beef but also chicken and pork, while online shoppers can get just two items from each of those categories. With many more Americans cooking and eating at home than usual due to coronavirus restrictions, grocery stores are being hit especially hard by the meat shortages, but restaurants are also suffering. Hundreds of Wendy’s fast food restaurants have now run out of hamburgers, with a fifth of all locations completely sold out of all beef products. The chain, which relies on fresh beef as a selling point, is being hit harder than rivals who use frozen meat. Read more....